When this owl crashed into a family's window, they took him in until he was ready to fly again ❤️

[catbyte]

Link to tweet

[underpants]

1. Awwww

We have a friend who ok in a wounded squirrel. It comes back all the time and is welcome in the house.

[2naSalit]

2. Looks like a

Northern Saw-whet. They are so cool looking. they go after voles and such. Might be a young bird too, takes time to learn about windows.

[Karadeniz]

3. LOVE being reassured that there are still kind, good people making world better. Thanks!❤

[Mersky]

4. Catbyte, that's like a dream

To have a close encounter with an owl.

When we first moved in, a beautiful bird I'd never seen before smacked the sliding glass door. Looked like a crime scene, and I was horrified.

Scooped it up with big gloves, put it in a shoe box and took it to wildlife rescue. Is where I learned that it's a cedar waxwing, eats red berries, and that it prolly just had the you-know-what knocked out of it. Was elated when they called the next day saying it had recovered enough for release. I happily donate to them every year.

Since then, I've made it a habit to hang various things on my windows. Years-old neon copy paper taped in interesting patterns worked well. Even after it faded, I realized it effectively reduced the glare on the glass. This year, I have paper shapes from a tropical themed party garland put up in a playful way. I use matte, neon mailing labels (that I have a million of for reasons I don't recall) on the moving glass. It works.

(Thank you, catbyte, your animal sweetness posts make these days easier to take.)

[Disaffected]

6. Another effective thing you can take to help prevent window strikes

is to stick black silhouettes of hawks (available from bird and wildlife shops) on the outside of susceptible windows - they work well in my experience.

BTW, waxwings sometimes get drunk from eating fermenting berries they find on the ground. They may fly into windows or walk drunkenly around on the ground. If you find one, put 'im in a box until he sobers up.

[Mersky]

8. That's what the reusable bat decals are for at Halloween time

I'll put em up, whenever I put down this beer. JK, I learned to love bird watching since we moved here. My backyard is a sanctuary, and my visitors have a hard enough time with hawks.

Welcome to DU.

[Disaffected]

5. That was a fine thing they did but,

but a better course of action would have been to have taken him to a wildlife rescue centre (assuming one was within driving distance).

Or a veterinarian (many will take injured small animals w/o charge).

A good procedure to follow for a bird window strike is to place them in a cardboard box, with a towel on the bottom, and lid closed in a quiet warm location and with a minimum of handling. If the bird has recovered within 1/2 hour i.e. is alert and able to flap both wings strongly, take him outside in the box, gently put the box on it's side on the ground, stand behind the box and open the lid so he can fly off when he is ready.

If the bird is in no danger from predators, vehicles, curious kids etc, just leave them where they are for the same 1/2 hour. Take him to a rescue centre or vet if possible if he has not flown off by then. Take him to a rescue centre or vet right away if there is blood or a broken wing or other signs of trauma other than having his "bell rung".

[Mersky]

7. Yes, I agree with you.

I'd like to emphasise, you can prevent bird strikes, and it doesn't have to cost a fortune or be hard to look at.